THE NATIONAL ARCHIVES - MAGNA CARTA – THE GREAT FEUDAL FEUD FOR ALL! MAGNA CARTA – Lesson 2 Teacher’s Notes

Aims

This lesson provides pupils with knowledge of the different classes of people in the medieval England (King, Barons, Knights, Burghers, Peasants) and asks them to consider how Magna Carta may have affected each of them.

At the end of the lesson pupils will have gathered information that can be used to write a short piece on who benefitted from Magna Carta in 1215.

Objectives

- To understand the societal context of medieval England at the time of Magna Carta
- To consider the importance of Magna Carta at the time for the different classes of society

Learning outcomes

By completing this lesson, pupils will:

- Increase their knowledge and understanding of the hierarchy of society in Medieval England
- Increase their knowledge and understanding of Magna Carta as a historical document
- Develop an understanding of the importance of Magna Carta in 1215

Connections to the curriculum

Key stage 3, the National Curriculum in England for history

The development of Church, state and society in Medieval Britain 1066-1509:

- Magna Carta and the emergence of Parliament Method

This lesson is presented as a quiz show ‘The Great Feudal Feud-For-All’. Each round tests pupils’ current knowledge and offers opportunity for discussion to address misconceptions and deepen understanding.

Using the whiteboard resource

We recommend you familiarise yourself with the resource before using with pupils. We have provided a breakdown of each slide, with further notes to support your teaching. This lesson requires some preparation of printed materials (referenced in these notes).

SLIDE 1

This displays The National Archives logo. SLIDE 3: What is Magna Carta? (Video)

A short video introduction to Magna Carta

VIDEO TRANSCRIPT (SLIDE 3):

This is Magna Carta… and this… and this… and this.

The first thing you’ve noticed is there are 4 versions and not just the famous one from 1215 that most people know about. Why is this? It’s because Magna Carta was an attempt to solve the key questions of the 13th Century… and beyond.

The questions were: • Is the King above the law or is he bound by the law? • Who decides whether the king has broken the law? • Who makes the law anyway?

Have no doubt about how seriously people took these questions. Kings and barons were prepared to go to war over them. So who were these barons who sometimes dared to challenge the king?

In medieval England, land gave people wealth and power. Those who owned the most land were known as barons (these also included important churchmen like bishops). Usually the relationship between the king and the barons worked well. The barons owned their land on the condition that they swore an oath of loyalty and promised to fight for the king if he called upon them. Barons also kept order, collected taxes and ran the law courts on his behalf.

Sometimes this relationship broke down but to go against the king was a huge risk. It could mean a baron was disowned by the church and his soul was lost. It could also mean financial ruin, imprisonment or death.

Each time it was issued, both sides promised to keep to the terms.

Each version of Magna Carta allowed for a council of barons who would make sure that the king followed the law. In addition, during the 13th Century a larger assembly of all barons regularly met to approve laws and taxes. As the century progressed they were also joined by others, including knights who served the barons, and burghers, who were representatives from the major towns. By the end of the century these representatives were being elected. This was the beginning of our present day Parliament.

But let’s go back to the 13th century and investigate how Magna Carta came about, what it meant for the king, for the barons and for other people. And decide for yourself: why was Magna Carta important in 1215? What is Magna Carta?

Some key facts about Magna Carta.

1. It is a document
2. An agreement between King John (1199 – 1216) and a group of “barons” (wealthy landowners)
3. Sealed on 15 June 1215 at Runnymede, near Windsor
4. Limited the powers of the King
5. Gave “rights” to the barons and other “freemen” and to the City of London

Let’s play…

An introduction to ‘The Great Feudal Feud-For-All’. This is like the ‘theme tune’ to a Game Show – but it also provides pupils with some key facts about Medieval society. At the end of the video, King John is introduced as the Quiz Master. You might like to make a joke that ‘King John could not be with us today, so I will be acting as Quiz Master on his behalf.’

TRANSCRIPT (SLIDE 5)

Ladies and Gentlemen, let’s play… The Great Feudal Feud For All… Meet the teams…

- At the bottom of society numbering a huge one and a half to two million people. Living in the worst houses, doing the hardest jobs and getting paid absolutely nothing. In the fields, doing all the work while everyone else has the fun it’s the filthy peasants…

- They live in the towns, they’re tradesman, the artisans, they’re doctors, lawyers… butcher, baker, candlestick maker… tht run the markets, living it large but without the fries… burgers… No! Not those kind of burgers… these kind of Burghrs…

- 5000 strong and always up for a good fight… They live in the manor houses… giving their service to the Lords and the King… and some are the King’s Sheriffs… they are… The Knights of the shire…

- Numbering 2000. They live in the castles lording it up over everyone else… They own the land … they collect the taxes and they run the courts. Friends of the king – except when they’re not… They are the Barons…

He controls all the lands, he makes all the laws, he spends all the taxes… so call him Lackland, some call him Soft Sword… but you’d better call him ‘my lord and my king’ so give a big a hand to your ruler… The Lord with the sword, the King with the ring, the Crown with the Frown…. Heeeere’s Johnny…

The Teams

Use this slide to allocate pupils into teams. There should be a minimum of four teams – each representing a different layer of society (Baron, Knight, Burgher, Peasant) Round 1 (Who’s Who in Medieval England?)

A short video ‘sting’ to introduce Round 1: Who’s Who in Medieval England?

Who am I?

1. I am a middle-class citizen, I have a trade and I live in town.
2. I am a farmer and live off the land. I have no money.
3. I like a good fight, and I am loyal to my Lord. I live in a manor house.
4. I own land, collect taxes and run the local law courts.

Round 1 (Who’s Who in Medieval England?)

You need to print the Answer sheet.doc – each team should be supplied with one of these. Provide a short time limit, and ask each team to identify who is describing themselves in each statement. Round 2 (Anagram Act)

A short video ‘sting’ to introduce Round 2: Anagram Act

You need to print the document ‘Mystery Document.doc’ and cut along the lines. The resulting strips of paper need to placed in an envelope with ‘Mystery Document’ printed on the outside.

Instruct pupils: In the envelope in front of you, you will find ten lines from a mystery document. You have as long as your teacher decides to rearrange the lines into the correct order and answer as many of the questions as possible.

Anagram Act

a. Who wrote this document? b. When was it written c. Why was it written? d. Make two observations about Magna Carta based on this document.

BONUS: Can you work out why this round is called ‘Anagram Act’? Round 2 (Anagram Act)

The jumbled up lines of the document.

Round 3 (Magna Carta or Havna Laugha)

A short video ‘sting’ to introduce Round 3: Magna Carta or Havna Laugha Round 3 (Magna Carta or Havna Laugha)

Prompts for Magna Carta or Havna Laugha (also printed on Answer sheet.doc)

Swap answer sheets.

Holding slide to give teams the opportunity to swap answer sheets. Round 1 - Answers.

Answers to Round 1, for pupils to mark.

Round 2 - Answers.

Answers to Round 2, for pupils to mark.

Encourage discussion about why the document was written and the observations made. Use your own discretion about scoring these questions.

ANAGRAM ACT is an anagram of MAGNA CARTA CORRECT ORDER OF MYSTERY DOCUMENT:

You will have seen and heard of our charter which we made, and we order that this charter is kept firmly throughout the land according to the law. We strictly order that you make everyone under your jurisdiction swear an oath to the 25 barons mentioned in the charter. We also order that 12 knights from your county will investigate and put a stop to certain evil customs both relating to sheriffs and their officers as it is contained in the charter itself. We order that, just as you love us and our honour, and the peace of Our Lord, you should observe everything contained in the charter without exceptions, and you should make the charter be observed by all, in case, God forbid, the peace of our realm should be disturbed once again.

Extract 1 from letters and grants of King John June 1215 C 66/14 The National Archives

SLIDE 17

Anagram Act (Answers)

a. Who wrote this document? (King John) b. When was it written? (1215) c. Why was it written? d. Make two observations about Magna Carta based on this document.

BONUS: Can you work out why this round is called 'Anagram Act'?

Round 2 - Answers.

Answers to Round 2, for pupils to mark. Answers to Magna Cart of Havna Laugha. The correct clauses will be used to support discussion in ‘Who were the real winners?’ (Slide 22) Answers to Magna Cart of Havna Laugha. The correct clauses will be used to support discussion in ‘Who were the real winners?’ (Slide 22)

And the winners are... A short video ‘sting’. Following this, add up the each team’s score and announce a ‘winning team’ Who were the real winners…?

Look at the clauses from Magna Carta again and facilitate a whole group discussion on who really gained from Magna Carta.

Who were the real winners…?

Reflect on everything you have learned so far about Magna Carta:

List 5 bullet points on who the real winners were and write these up in a paragraph

or

Create a 30 second video explaining your views

List 5 bullet points on who the real winners were and write these up in a paragraph

or

Create a 30 second video explaining your views